“It has never been seen before by European eyes, but scenes so wonderful must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight”. These are the famous words of 19th-century British explorer David Livingstone when he first set sight on the now world-renowned Victoria Falls in 1855. It is no wonder that centuries later, we are still equally inspired. Here we find the motivation to remain committed to keeping Africa’s natural wonders, like Africa’s largest waterfall, protected.
Today, Peace Parks Foundation’s Chief Investment Officer, Colin Porteous has jumped on board a helicopter. He will be taken on an adrenaline-filled trip above the mighty Victoria Falls and Zambezi River. This flight is otherwise known as the ‘Flight Of Angels’.
Livingstone’s First Glance Of The Falls
David Livingstone is believed to have been the first European explorer to set sight on the Victoria Falls during his explorations in Africa. The local people transported him in a canoe to an island situated at the very edge of the falls, now known as Livingstone Island. This was where he got his first glimpse of the falls. He was so enamoured with them that he thought it fit to name them after the Queen of Great Britain at the time, Queen Victoria.
A 167 years later and these thunderous falls still leaves its audience breathless. Mosi-ao-Tunya, the local name for the falls that means ‘The Smoke That Thunders’ perfectly describes the white plume of mist that bellows high into the air when the river is at its most full. It is no wonder that these falls have been named as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
Peace Parks Foundation and Victoria Falls
The Victoria Falls lies on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, nestled within the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. With support from the German Government and KfW Development Bank, Peace Parks Foundation has been actively involved in the establishment and development of this massive transboundary conservation area since 2004.
Work here is focused on community upliftment, restoring connectivity between key wildlife areas within this conservation area and economic development through tourism projects in the area.
Peace Parks Foundation remains committed to conserving one of Africa’s most precious natural resources and keeping river systems, such as the Zambezi, healthy so that the millions of lives dependent on her continue to thrive.
